Wire line setting tool and well plug



G. BOER ETAL WIRE LINE SETTING TOOL. AND WELL PLUG March 12, 1957 nited States Patent O i WIRE LINE SETTING TOOL AND WELL PLUG George Boer, Wallace M. GReilly, and Martin E. True, Houston, Tex., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Esso Research and Engineering Company, Elizabeth, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Application May 17, 1954, Serial No. 430,116

1 Claim. (Cl. 166--181) Fig. l is a view, partly in section, showing the upper end of a wire line plug setting tool; and Fig. l-A is Aa view, partly in section, showing the lower end of the tool of Fig. 1 with a well plug attached thereto in position for running down a-borehole, the two figures being taken together to show acomplete tool attached to the well` plus;

Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, showing the well plug as set ina section of pipe; and

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View along line 3-3of Fig. l.

Turning now specifically Ato the drawing, `a section of pipe A represents a casing or tubing in the well in which a plug is to be inserted. Supported on the `end of wire line B `terminating in a conventional `overshot C is `the plug setting tool, the principal parts of which consist of a body D divided into chambers `E and F with a Vslidable` valve element lG in chamber `F Awhich has its `upper end secured to `sleeve il and is slidable with respect `to body D and with stem J slidably arranged inside sleeve H, the `two parts being pinned together `and to body @D by `pin K. The lower `end of the setting assembly is provided with a well plug `engaging assembly L which `is held in an engaging position with `the iplug by Islidable lsleeve `M.

The well plughas body or mandrel N which terminates lat its'upper end in head Q. A passage .O extends from `an inlet in head Q down through the upper end of body N and discharges through side ports. The central passage is provided `with a .check valve P. A rubber sleeve `R is arranged around `mandrel N with its upper end sealed thereto by sleeve S and its lower end sealed thereto `by sleeve T.

As will be seen in Fig. 2, when a iluid is introduced into the central passage O of the well plug assembly, when the pressure is sufficient to overcome the exterior pressure on sleeve R, the sleeve expands outwardly and makes a {luid-.tight seal with the section of pipe A. The iluid pressure is .retained Within the plug by check valve assembly `P. A .means for releasing `the plug is shown and claimed in copendingpatent application No. 430,117

entitled Wire Line Releasing Tool and`WellPlug,`iiled May .17, 19.54, Ain the rnames of George Boer, Wallace t M. OReillyand Martin E. True. t

Taking up specifically the plug setting tool as shown in Figs. 1 and l-A, the upper end of body D terminates in sleeve 11 in which member .T is slidably arranged and around which tubular member H is slidably arranged. Pin K serves the dual purpose of holding tubular mem- 2,784,790 Patented Mar. 12, 1957 ICC ber H `against movement with regard to body D and with regard `to the member I. Pin K may be sheared at points 12, 12 by `dropping a sleeve (such as sleeve 13) down wireline B so that it strikes bumper 14 mounted on the upper endof sleeve H. Pin K may also be shearedat points 15, 15 if the Ybody D is held against upward movement and a sufficient pull is exerted on wire line B.

Member .i is provided with a head 16 for engagement with wire line member C and its lower end is provided with an outwardly extending circular ledge 17 which ts within the lower end of sleeve member H with its movement in sleeve member H limited in the upward direction by circular shoulder 18 and its movement in the downward direction limited by circular member 19.

Member 20 of valve assembly G is secured to sleeve H by means of a circular head 21, the upper surface of which abuts the lower surface of member 19 and the lower surface of which abuts circularmember 22, members 19 and 22 being secured to the sleeve by conventional screw threads. Member 20 of valve assembly G has secured thereto lifting arm 23, the ends of which lit into slots 24 of outer sleeve M.

The upper end of body D has a partition 25 in which is a central passage 26 in which valve member 20 fits slidingly with the upper end of the partition sealed by seal 27 and the lower end sealed by seal 28. A passage 29 connects `the space of cylinder `E with the exterior of body D and is controlled by check valve 3l) which allows the entrance of iluid into chamber E but prevents its release.

Body D has a central partition 35 provided with :a central passage 36 in which is arranged seal 37 and through which the lower end of valve member G lits slidingly. Partition 3S is provided with longitudinally extending passages 38, 38 which connect the lower end of `chamber `E with the upper end of chamber F and are controlled by check valves 39, 39 which allow excess pressure to pass from chamber F to chamber E but prevent the flow of fluid from `chamber E to chamber F.

Body D `has at its lower end a circular shoulder orWall 40 terminating in a wedge-shaped end 41 which slopes upwardly and outwardly. Above circular wall 40 is partition 42 through which extends a central passage 43 which communicates chamber F with the exterior of body D, the end of the central passage 43 being surrounded by sealingmember 45 which is adapted to make a fluid-tight seal with the upper end of body N of the well plug as shown in Fig. l-A so that when the well plug is secured to the setting tool passage 43 of the tool and passage O of the well plug form a continuous conduit for the flow of tluid.

The means L which secures the well plug to the setting tool assembly consists of a plurality of arms 50, each of which is secured at its upper end to body D by screw 51 and has its lower end terminating in a dog 52 which lits into neck 53 of the body N of the well plug. Each dog 52 has an upper shoulder 54, the surface of which is parallel with annular surface 41 of body D but the dog extends farther inwardly than does the shoulder 41 so as to engage with the head Q of the well plug. The dog 52 is held against outward radial movement by sleeve M. However, when sleeve M is moved upwardly along valve body D, the arms Si) are exposed, and this allows the dogs 52 to move outwardly so that the dogs can ride over shoulders 55 of head Q thereby releasing the well plug assembly from the setting tool assembly. The .centraltparti-tion 3'5of body AD has secured thereto upwardly extending tubular member in which valve member G is slidably arranged with the upper end of the tubular member provided with a seal 61 sealing it to member G. Member G is provided with a lower central passage 6?. which communicates to `the exterior through side port 63 at its lower end and communicates to the exterior through side port 64 at its upper end. Valve member G also has an upper central passage 65 which communicates to the exterior of the member G at its lower end through side port 66 and communicates with the exterior at its upper end through valve port 67.

Slidably arranged within chamber F is a piston 68 which in effect divides the chamber into two parts, a lower chamber 69 and an upper chamber 70.

To use the device for lowering a well plug and setting it in a string of pipe, the setting tool and packer are assembled as shown in Figs. 1 and l-A. The space 69 of chamber F, passage 43 of the setting tool and passage n.

O of the well plug are filled with a suitable hydraulic fluid. Chamber E is filled with a suitable high pressure gas which is sealed in chamber E by valve G with valve G in turn held in position by sleeve H pinned to the body D and to the member J by pin K.V The well plug is secured to the lower end of the well setting tool by assembly L, the dogs in turn being held in position in neck 53 of the packer body N by sleeve M.

The assembly is vlowered through the string of pipe until the well plug is at the desired setting point. Sleeve 13 is -then dropped down wire line B and upon striking Vbumper shoulder 14 of sleeve H shears pin K at points 12 and causes sleeve H with attached valve member G to move valve member G to its'lowermost position where side port 63 is below partition 35 but side port 64 is above p 'seal 61; this allows high pressure gas to discharge from chamber E into the upper portion 70 of chamber F which in turn forces piston 68 downwardly and drives hydraulic fluid from portion 69 of chamber F through central passage 43 of body D and central passage O of well plugin.y

body N to expand the rubber sleeve outwardly as shown in Fig. 2.

After the packer has been set, the release of the runningtool from the packer body is initiated by pulling upwardly on wire line B which causes shear pin K tovv tion side port 66 communicates passage 65 through side port 67 with the exterior of the body and releases excess pressure from chamber E to the exterior of the body. The bleeding off of pressure from chamber E in turn allows gas from portion 70 of chamber F to pass through check valves 39 and passages 38 into chamber E and in turn bleed to the exterior, the result being that the excess pressure is released from both chambers E and F. Movement upwardly of cross pin 23 causes it to engage with the upper end of slots 24 of sleeve M and additional movement draws sleeve M upwardly to expose dogs 52 and arms 50. Continued movement upwardly of cross pin 23 causes it to engage with the upper end of slots 90 of the upper portion of the body D to withdraw the well setting tool from the plug assembly when dogs 52 are released so that `the well setting tool assembly may be withdrawn to the surface of the earth.

While a specific embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed, it will be obvious that various changes in the sizes, shapes and proportions of the several parts may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

The invention claimed is: A wireline setting tool adaptable for use with a fluid expansible well plug, said well plug including an inat- `able sleeve, a fluid inlet passageway communicating the interior and exterior of said sleeve, and a check valve in said passageway adapted to normally prevent escape of fluid from said sleeve, said tool comprising an elongated body having upper .and lower chambers, said upper chamber being adapted to contain a high pressure uid medium, said lower chamber being provided with a down- Wardly facing fluid outlet port and a low pressure fluid medium therein, a piston in said lower chamber spaced vertically above said outlet port, a partition member in said body forming and separating said chambers, releasable arms secured to, and extending below, the lower end of said body adapted to engagedly connect with said well plug, said lower chamber outlet por-t and said inlet passageway being aligned and in fluid communication when said arms engagedly connect with said well plug, sealing means carried by the lower end of said body for sealingly engaging said plug adjacent said aligned outlet port and said inlet passageway, a cylindrical member slidably mounted on said body and normally positioned to telescope over said releasable engaging arms to retain said arms engagedly connected to said well plug, valve means mounted in slidable relation to said partition and Achambers adapted to have lirst, second and third positions, said valve when in said rst position iluidly conimunicating the upper chamber with the exterior of said body, said valve when in said second position tluidly communicating said upper chamber and said lower chamber and said valve when in said third position preventing fluid flow between said upper and lower chambers and between said upper chamber and the exterior of said body, a stem member mounted in said body exteriorly of said chambers and adjacent said valve means and movable relative to said valve means, abutment means on said stem member and valve means, a shear pin normally connecting said stem member, said body and said valve means together with said abutment means spaced from each other and positioned so that said valve means is arranged in said third position, the portion of the shear pin connection between said body and said valve means being adapted lto be broken by an external force applied thereto to release said valve means from said body and to permit said abutment means to become engaged, and said valve means to move from said third to said second position whereby said high pressure fluid medium will move said piston to force the fluid in the lower chamber 'through said inlet passageway into the interior of said inflatable sleeve, wireline means adapted to be connected to said stem member and the body connected thereto by the remaining portion of said shear pin when said valve means is in said second position, lost motion linkage means interconnecting said valve means and said cylindrical member, said remaining shear pin connection portion being adapted to be fractured by a force applied to said wireline whereby said wireline may move said stem member and said valve means by means of said abutment means to cause said valve means to assume said irst position and whereby said cylindrical means is simultaneously moved to disengage from said retaining arms.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

